5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin [Ranked and Reviewed]

Pickleball is an exciting sport that involves the use of a pickle ball net, paddle, and perforated plastic ball.

It’s a unique combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong that has gained a lot of traction among participants both professionally and in recreational play.

Don’t forget to put all these equipment into a specially-designed pickleball bag!

Ideal for all ages and skill sets, the concept of this game is simple, however, developing special moves and tricks takes some practice.

Among the many skills a player can learn, mastering how to spin the ball is crucial.

Perfecting this technique increases their chances of winning and makes for a more challenging, interesting game.

If a pickleball player can learn how to develop this skill, they will have an immediate advantage over their opponents.

They’ll find themselves moving from beginners to experienced players participating in competitive, fast-paced games. The right pickleball racket is essential to having a powerful spin.

Unfortunately, finding the right and the best pickleball paddle isn’t always an easy task due to the hundreds of pickleball rackets for spin available.

Along with this, there are dozens of manufacturers and brands to choose from that range in different sizes, weight, and construction.

An effective way to choose a paddle right for you is by trying it out to see how it feels in your hand and while swinging.

To save you some time, we decided to make our own top pickleball paddles review, designed specifically to help add spin to your game.

Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin

Here are our top choices for the best paddle to help you spin the ball:

1. Engage Encore Pro Pickleball Paddles Reviews

This pickleball paddle offers several unique features and characteristics placing it on our top 5 list.

As you may already know Engage Pickleball is a commonly known USA-based brand that designs paddles intended for this sport.

They are a leading brand when it comes down to pickleball equipment. Their products are used by beginners to professional players.

This Paddle is among the best pickleball paddle for spin. Made from polymer honeycomb, the skin’s material is fiberglass.

Its design enhances the feel of paddle-ball contact to maximize the time the ball stays on the paddle. Additionally, the rough skin maximizes the spin placed on the ball.

Additionally, this paddle is categorized into the mid-weight category weighting from 7.8-8.3 ounces. It’s medium sized grip is 4 ¼ inches and the paddle face itself is specifically designed to allow for a good amount of spin when serving or returning shots.

You can purchase this in any of the following four colors: black, red, purple, or green.

Engage Encore Pro Advantages

• Maximum control and power
• Comfortable grip
• Effective ball placement
• Great for all levels

2. Onix Composite Z5

There are certain pickleball paddles that will never go out of style, and the Onix Pickleball Composite Z5 is one of them!

This racket is commonly used by players and easily accessible online and even in retail stores.

A Nomex honeycomb paddle with a widebody and graphite face, it will most likely always be commonly sought by players of all levels.

About 8” wide, the widebody part of the paddle is ideal for beginners since missing the ball are less likely.

It’s also a great selection for advanced players due to it’s lightweight, but hard face.

Offering a large sweet spot, this paddle gives you powerful hits with just the right amount of spin.

The Onix Z5 weights about 8.4-8.7 ounces placing it on the heavier side. It’s 4 ¼ inch grip size is great for players that already have good ball control but need that extra pop from the baseline.

Onix Z5 Advantages

• Great for all levels
• Maximum power and pop

3. Gonex Pickleball Paddles

The name is this paddle says it all. It is a powerful racket used by beginner to advanced players.

Achieving a great spin on the ball is one of the benefits this selection brings.

The Gonex not only looks great, but they are masters when it comes down to performance.

The graphic design of this paddle involves splashes of blues to give it a vibrant look. While it’s a great looking pickleball racket, it’s also very functional as well!

It definitely stands out from the rest by offering a light head weight for faster returns and smaller grip size to add control.

Made from QuadCoreTM Power Polymer honeycomb cell technology, they withstand any challenges on the court.

It is lighter than the previously mentioned paddle weighing 7.4-7.8 ounces.

Additionally, players will benefit from its durable SPINtac surface designed to enhance spin control.

As one of the most advanced paddles out there, this one gives all levels of players the edge they need to have a better outcome. Many players prefer certain paddle shapes when they choose a pickleball paddle, and this is one with just the right shape.

With the combination of power and spin, this is a great choice of paddle for spin and speedy executions of most shots. This is also one of the lightest paddles, which makes it the best choice for beginners and smaller players, especially in its price range.

The lightweight Gonex is the ideal choice for those players who struggle with tennis elbow and other elbow injuries and for those who need speed. A nice cushioned grip will help the player so their hand will not get tired too easily and improve their overall game.

No matter what your playing style is, this pickleball paddle provides a perfect blend of speed, balance, and overall comfort. If you need a well-rounded paddle for the expert player and extra power for the novice player, this is the ideal paddle.

Gonex Pickleball Paddles Advantages

• Limited lifetime warranty
• Approved for noise restricted communities with quiet zones
• Nice graphic design
• Oversized face for maximum control/power

4. HEAD Radical Pro Pickleball Paddle

This paddle is constructed to offer players high-performing features while keeping noise to a minimum.

Perfect for a wide range of players, the Radical Elite offers a larger sweet spot for power as well as a thicker core and an ergo grip for great playability.

HEAD engineers have optimized the Tubular Construction (OTC) of the polypropylene honeycomb core to create perfect playability, feel and sound suited for all levels of play.

This lightweight pickleball paddle features HEAD’s fiberglass hitting surface that offers excellent feel and ample power for the competitive player.

The design is very popular among players making their paddle stand out for all the right reasons.

This paddle is available in blue, gold, red, or purple.

At 12.8 inches wide, this quality paddle provides a nice sweet spot size so you can easily play the more difficult shots. This quality paddle will help you make more accurate shots without too much effort to improve overall comfort.

Even the absolute beginner will have a great time using this good-sized paddle, more than those oversized paddles that are a bit heavy. The Head Radical Pro is also one of the most durable pickleball paddles and can be used for many different applications of the game.

The beginner or medium-level player will find that this light paddle fits in much better with their personal preference and has a better overall feel.

HEAD Radical Pro Pickleball Paddle Advantages

• Comfort grip provides sweet spot
• Offers low noise level
• Fiberglass face adds spin to shots

5. Onix Graphite Pickleball Paddles Z5

Last but not least, this pickleball paddle continues to be extremely popular in the pickleball world.

Its solid construction is very attractive to players and used within the highest levels of competition.

The Onix Graphite Z5 offers great control and a large hitting area due to it’s wide face.

Weighing 7.5-8.2 ounces, players have found this to be a comfortable weight for them.

The handle length is about 5 inches offering comfort grip.

It’s no surprise this is the best-selling paddle in the Onix line. It offers great touch and superior ball control.

Lastly, we cannot overlook its stunning design which features a honeycomb graphic background with a giant Z on the face of the paddle.

This item is available in several colors including yellow, pink, blue, orange, red, purple, green, and white!

Even though these are considered high-end graphite paddles, they will be of great benefit to the intermediate player who wants to up their skill. This well-designed pickleball paddle will provide a great balance between power and speed for a much better outcome on the court.

This balance of power will help even beginner pickleball players to improve their skills and perform much better in the game. The price range of these pickleball paddles from Onix makes them a perfect choice for beginners who don’t want to spend too much.

The carbon fiber frame of this paddle provides just the right stiffness to give the beginner much more control over the ball. While power players prefer heavy paddles, they will find that this one provides them great power to execute most power shots.

Onix Graphite Z5 Advantages

• Great balance of speed and power
• Ideal for all levels
• Stunning graphic design
• Variety of colors to pick from

Why Having the Right Paddle For Spin Makes A Difference

So how do you achieve spinning the ball in pickleball?

As a player, you’ve probably asked yourself this question. There are two basic ways you can spin the ball.

The first one involves you moving your racket from low to high, to create a topspin. This is helpful when hitting a lob or serving since you can cause the ball to bounce inward toward the player making it harder for them to strike back.

There is also the option of using a backspin also known as a slice. Using a continental grip, move your paddle from high to low.

You’ll quickly notice that causing a ball to spin take some practice. Both of these spins prove successful to getting you ahead in the game of pickleball and having the right paddle can give you more spin on your shots.

When looking for the right pickleball paddle you want to keep three things in mind: weight, grip size, hitting surface size, and materials.

We have broken this down for you.

Paddle Weight

This is one of the most important factors when selecting a paddle. Ranging anywhere from 6 to 14 ounces, a rackets weight will affect the control, and power you have.

Lighter paddles will give you more control (less drive) while heavier ones give you less control (more drive).

Additionally, because the weight of your paddle will affect your overall game you need a racket that is comfortable to hold. There are three options for weight that will help you decide whether you need a light (<7.3 oz), medium (7.3-8.4 oz), or heavy (8.5-9.5 oz).

Light paddles require less arm strength and generate more head speed. They are great for hard hitting players and a more popular option for doubles players.

Medium paddles are a good choice for beginners who haven’t figured out their playing preferences just yet. They are also good picks if you want both power and discretion.

Last, heavy pickleball rackets are used for power players. These rackets provide more power and pop than other weights, but they do lack a little control.

They require more arm strength and can aggravate your elbow often. These are popular for single players who are light hitters.

Paddle Grip Size

Additionally, you need a grip size that fits your hand. One that is too large can slip out of your hand making you prone to injury.

Smaller grips offer more wrist action giving you a more controlled spin while larger grips provide more stability.

A simple rule of thumb to keep in mind when deciding what grip size is good for you is considering your height. Short players under 5’2” do well with a 4-inch grip while medium sized players between 5’3” and 5’8” do well with a 4 ¼ inch grip.

Lastly, players above 5’9” usually benefit most from a 4 ½ inch grip.

Tennis players usually prefer thicker handles while badminton players often like narrower handles. The best way to know what handle works for you is experimenting with a few rackets until you find the right grip.

Paddle Hitting Surface Size

If you are brand new to pickleball you may want to consider buying a paddle with a wider hitting area. This will make dinking easier and limit the number of shots missed.

Advanced players prefer paddles with a narrower hitting area since they are lighter. Pickleball paddles vary from many sizes and shapes to offer flexible options for everyone.

Paddle Construction Materials

Finally, the material of a racket cannot be overlooked.

In general, they are made from three main materials: wood, composite, and graphite. The heaviest paddles are wooden and are also the least expensive.

Graphite paddles are most expensive, but they are also very light and powerful.

The material from which a pickleball paddle is made from has a direct impact on the weight and deflection of the racket. Originally, when this sport was first invented, rackets were made from wood.

Over time, lighter, more sophisticated options came into play including polymer, graphite, or composite pickleball paddles.

Consider these different materials when choosing a pickleball paddle:

• Wood – this material results in cheap, durable, and reliable paddles. The main downside is that they fall into the heavy weight category.
• Polymer Plastic – a blend of plastics, these are lightweight, durable, and affordable. Because their performance isn’t as keen as other materials, they are not used too often by pickleball players.
• Graphite – these are a more popular choice among competitors and professional pickleball players. Their honeycomb inner core and think graphite skin make them extremely responsive and strong. They offer excellent control and are great for dinking at the net.
• Composite – this type of paddle normally utilizes fiberglass to create a responsive surface. They are very technologically advanced bringing forward several advantages such as lightness, good control and power, or optimal performance.